Advances in physical therapy helping
Emma get back on her feetBy Suzanne HivelyNovember 11, 2004

Emma's cousin, Josh,
is the Newfoundland who won best in show at the Westminster
Kennel Club this year.

Emma, 7, however, is
a winner in a crucial life situation.

With the devotion of
her owners and expertise at an animal rehabilitation clinic near
Chicago, Emma is learning to walk again.

Most of the time
Emma wobbles, and she needs a bit of assistance. Laurie
McCauley, the veterinarian who treated Emma at TOPS Veterinary
Rehabilitation Center in Grayslake, ILl., believes the dog will
make a full recovery.

Last Saturday, Emma
got up, walked through the house, into the yard, took care
of business, came back into the kitchen by herself with no help,
said her elated owner Dr. Sara Stein of Beachwood.
"She rested twice, crashed into a few things and knocked
over the biggest plant in the house, but she did it."

On Oct. 3, Emma
acted perfectly normal. She played with her Frisbee,
took a long walk and ate every morsel at dinnertime.

The next morning,
Stein noticed that her pet pushed her food bowl away. It
was, however, no cause for alarm.

That night when
Stein got home from work, she took one look at Emma and knew she
was seriously ill. She wasn't moving and her temperature
was 106 degrees. A dog's normal temperature is 101.2 to
101.8 degrees.

Stein, with the help
of her husband, Don Robinson, and a neighbor promptly loaded the
165-pound Emma into the car and headed toward Metropolitan
Veterinary Hospital in Akron.

Emma was diagnosed
with a total body infection. She was given antibiotics and
the fever broke. But a few days into her stay at the
hospital, Emma's back legs became paralyzed.

She was supposed to
continue treatment on an outpatient basis, but there was no way
Stein and Robinson could handle such a large dog at home, much
less transport her for treatment.

Stein started
searching the Internet for some appliance, such as a sling, to
help Emma walk. That's when she stumbled onto the rehab
clinic.

Within hours, Emma
was in the car again, and Stein was headed toward Chicago.

"Emma doesn't
have a good immune system," McCauley said. the
problem might have stemmed from a bladder infection. Emma
also has arthritis and could not support her weight.

"I thought
there was definitely a chance to get her waling again,"
McCauley said, "but we have to deal with the emotional
issues as well as the physical. If the dog gives up, it is
more difficult to get them back."

Emma didn't give
up. She stayed at the clinic two weeks with Stein visiting
her on the weekend.

Emma's room at the
clinic was great, Stein said. She had a mat for sleeping,
a French door with a view of the outdoors and she could watch
Animal Planet on television. The scent of lavender wafted
throughout the clinic, and soothing flute music was piped into
the rooms.

The clinic
specializes in difficult cases. Stein saw a 12-year-old
Akita, once paralyzed, walking with assistance; a dachshund with
slipped discs learning to negotiate steps; and a 12-year-old
arthritic St. Bernard, who was an outpatient.

The average life
span for giant breeds of dogs has increased with advanced
medical technology. Seven or eight years was the average,
but McCauley said she has treated two 12-year-old St. Bernards
and Irish wolfhounds that were 10 and 11. "Age is not
a disease." she said.

Emma had acupuncture
to relieve pain and stimulate the nervous and immune
system. "When I walked in," Stein said,
"she had about 50 acupuncture needles everywhere, and they
didn't seem to bother her."

Emma underwent
pulsed signal therapy, an electromagnetic treatment to relieve
the pain of arthritis and promote growth of cartilage.
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation sent a slight current
through Emma's muscles to cause contractions.

A physical therapist
created molds in the shape of Emma's legs in a normal position
so she could practice standing.

Emma worked on an
underwater treadmill with two therapists in the tank with her to
assist. An underwater video camera monitored every foot
stride.

She had massages and
range-of-motion exercises.

Stein brought Emma
home Oct. 24. She will continue to exercise Emma on a
standard treadmill. Emma wears a garment that resembles a
girdle with handles to assist her in walking.

"It was
expensive, about $1,500 a week," Stein said. But
"I'd rather have my dog than a vacation, and I wasn't going
to put her down."